Smoke billows from a house severely damaged by fire Wednesday, March 13, 2013, on Clover Lane in Lafayette. There were no reported injuries in the fire, which broke out just before 10 p.m.

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When the lights went out Wednesday in Elio Zruz's home at 726 Clover Lane, he did what most homeowners would do.

"I went to look at the circuit breaker and flipped it, and that's what started it," Zruz said. The 49-year-old Wabash National employee's house went up in flames.

Lafayette Police Department received the call at 9:54 p.m. By the time Officer Jeff Tislow arrived at the scene at 9:56 p.m., the house was fully engulfed and Zruz and six family members - except his wife, who was at work - had evacuated the house safely. ...